BOSTON - Anytime your name goes up there next to Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski, it's a big deal.
And folks, Xander Bogaerts is a pretty big deal.
While the Red Sox have been a pretty awful team at the plate for much of the season, Bogaerts has steadily inclined all season. After his four-hit game Saturday, his average is up to .319, tying him for fourth in the American League.
And this is where the 22-year-old Bogaerts puts his name next to Williams and Yaz: The four-hit performance on Saturday was the sixth of his career, tying him with Yaz for the second-most four-hit games by a Red Sox before turning 23 years old (since 1914), and trailing only Williams, who did it eight times.
Bogaerts will turn 23 on October 1, giving him exactly two months to catch Williams. Considering he's improved his batting average every month, hit a whopping .371 in July, and has three four-hit games since July 2, it's certainly not out of the realm of possibilities that he catches Williams.
"We're watching a guy really blossom right in front of our eyes," Farrell said.
Bogaerts also drove in three runs on Saturday, making him the 8th Red Sox player in the last 100 years to drive in at least 100 runs before turning 23 years old.
It's a complete turnaround from last season for Bogaerts, who struggled at dealing with failure up in the big leagues. But his new approach to things has allowed him to show up at the ballpark each day with a clear mind.
"The biggest part for me is just forgetting about yesterday," Bogaerts said. "Today is a new day. Going out there and doing the best I can and helping the team win."
Bogaerts just missed a home run on Saturday that hit the top of the bullpen wall in right field. He has just three home runs this season, probably the only negative you can find about him at the plate right now.
But he could only shake his head and smile in a bit of disbelief at how close he was to his fourth home run. Perhaps that new way of thinking is helping him deal.
"I know I have the power, so I'm definitely not even worried about that at all," Bogaerts said. "So as long as I keep doing what I'm doing right now, the power will come."